| First Name | Last Name | Married Last Name | Recap 2004 text | Recap attachment |
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| Linda (Whitnah) | & Craig Belknap | Craig and Linda (Whitnah) Belknap We've lived in Janesville, Wisconsin (between Madison and Chicago) since 1975. Craig is a school psychologist; Linda coordinates adult programs at the public library and writes magazine articles on the side. Our son teaches Spanish in Connecticut, where he lives with his wife and sweet four-month-old son. If you read between the lines, you know this means we became doting, not to say doddering, grandparents this year. Our daughter is a UW-Whitewater student majoring in early childhood special ed. We enjoy traveling, biking, gardening, and eating ethnic food cooked by us or somebody else. Craig builds guitars and amplifiers. Linda buys fabric and sometimes even makes something out of it. In our next lives, we will be political activists and one of us will also be a Rockette. |
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| Lynn (Johnston) | & Ken Rubenzer | Since the last reunion 5 years ago, Ken and Lynn (Johnston) Rubenzer have moved from their Hugo home to Vadnais Heights (behind the Clover Bar). The home is single level, which is perfect for our elderly bones not needing to climb up and down steps. Son Brian is an Executive Chef at The Saint Paul College Club on Summit Avenue and son Kenny is an agent for Coldwell Banker Burnett in Minneapolis. Lynn and I have no grandchildren to date but hope by our 40th reunion we can report at least one. We look forward to meeting old acquaintances and sharing memories of our other lives so many years ago as students and teenagers at good old White Bear High. We wish all of our fellow Alumni a happy, healthy, and prosperous next five years until our next reunion, but for now...LET'S PARTY!!! | ||
| Roger | Alstad | I will not be attending this reunioun. But thanks for your work and communications. I'll try and make the next one. Not sure what the parameters are for a "recap" but will offer a few words about me: I live on a hill in Mill Valley overlooking San Francisco Bay. I've been incredibly lucky. My biggest desire: getting Bush out of office. Biggest accomplishment: a wildly happy marriage. Biggest shortcoming: severly lazy (which is why I never had kids, thank God). Smartest move I've ever made: I have no idea, but it's probably not printable here. Roger Alstad |
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| Sandy | Arcand | After a rewarding career in Elementary Education, I am eagerly anticipating my retirement in 4 years. At that time I plan to embark on a new career as a member of the LPGA (Ladies Playing Golf A Lot). | ||
| William | Axelrod | After graduation from High School, thought I would try College. This might keep me away from Vietnam. Lakewood was my choice. Well I blew that one. Decided to try out for the air force band. If my draft number came up I would enlist with the band. Went to Rantoul IL. and made the tryout. My number was 128 and the draft only went up to 125 so this was an easy choice, no duty for me. Played in local bands in the early 70’s (Extra added Soul, Regalia, Hot Half Dozen etc., to many to mention), also worked other jobs. Auditioned with a band that I always admired (The Fabulous Flippers) from Lawrence Kansas. Decided to go on the road with this group for three and a half years. We re-recorded Harlem Shuffle a hit from the 60’s on a 45-rpm with some exceptional musicians. After traveling all over the country it was time to come home and finish College. Went back to Lakewood and then on to St. Thomas. While back in College started playing music again and formed my own band (City). In 1977, I organized the WBL Soccer Club. We played first Division, Minnesota Soccer Assoc. Played for Northwest Airlines Soccer team until the age of forty. After graduating from college, I pursued my custom photography career at Photo Display Lab, PMSI and Cable Photography. While working in photography I hooked up with some bear town boys and formed the band (Crossover). In the early to mid eighties, I fell in love with jazz music and began my own group (Freetime). This quartet, also named (The Schieks Quartet) played jazz at hotels & restaurants in the metro area. In 1984 I wrote a forty’s tune for Manhattan Transfer (Swing is King). They flew me out to LA to discuss purchasing my song. Well just my luck, while negotiating, the group started discussing a break-up. Should have written this song a year earlier. It would have been used on their last LP, well shelve that one. Forty’s swing music requires specialized market groups. The late 80’s and through the 90’s is kind of a blur. Managed Proex Central Lab, worked for Union Bank & Trust in the trust department. At present, I am office Mgr. for Topside, Inc. a roofing company. October of 2003 I was involved in a very bad car accident (T boned) suffered a fractured pelvis, hip & knee. I am having surgery June 4 and hope to be at the reunion. My hobby is restoring old 60’s & 70’s Japanese motor cycles. I own a 1966 Honda CL77 Scrambler, 1975 Honda CB750 and a 1973 Suzuki T500. Bikes restored back to their original condition. Never did get married…Came close, so goes. | http://wbl69.homestead.com/files/Bill_Axelrod2.jpg | |
| Colleen | Beck | Guilfoile | Graduated from St. Cloud State in 1973 and married Larry Guilfoile one month later. We have 2 children: Jody, age 29 and Tom, age 27. We also have 2 grandchildren, Isaiah (20 months) and Kierra (9 months). Currently employed as Director of Social Services and Community Events Coordinator for Margaret Family Residence in Chisago City. Member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Lindstrom. Also involved with Lutheran Marriage Encounter. Interests include: family, sewing, reading, walking, and my doll collection. These are the statistics - but they don't tell you the greatest story of all - I've been blessed many times over. |
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| Karen | Biebighauser | Charpentier | I currently live in Birchwood. I am a floral designer, work out of my home and also part-time at a local flower shop. I was married for 30 years and widowed within the last several years. Have three grown children, two who are married and one grandchild. Email address: Charpbball547@cs.com. | |
| Vicki | Brenner | Vicki Brenner After I graduated from high school, I moved on to UMD where I received a BA in Theater. When I left White Bear Lake, I left family, friends, and my name, which became Max, a Girl Scout name, necessary to avoid confusion in our dorm that housed four Vicki's (apparently the Brittany or Amber of 1951). After four years, I left the cold of Duluth and took my nickname and BA to the blazing heat of Arizona State University at Tempe where I earned my MA in Technical Theater. I refused to join the real world for a year and remained to teach at ASU. After decided that I had spent too much time in school, I hopped in my van and took a tour of the country until I ran out of money. I ended up in Los Angeles with $10 and a dream to make it in Show Biz and proceeded to deliver phone books. Eventually, I wended my way through the Entertainment world without sleeping my way to the top. I am currently a partner in an Emmy Award-winning Entertainment lighting design company for video, film, concerts, and live theatrical events, and I love what I do! I have been lucky enough to travel the world working on shows in many different countries including Egypt, Trinidad, France, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, and Cyprus. I live with my partner of over twenty years, Denise, in the hills of Los Angeles with an overly enthusiastic (bad) dog, a skittish cat, and three water turtles. This will be my first reunion which I am greatly looking forward to! I have wonderful memories of my life in White Bear Lake and the people with whom I shared it! Thanks to those who caught up with me and made this reunion possible! |
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| Terry | Burke | Werner | Recaps, I fear can be all boasts and brags. You won't get that stuff from this gray-haired old bag. What I've done, where I've been is too long of a tale. I'm just thankful to be healthy and staying out of jail! |
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| Judith | Cady | Monson | Judy Cady Monson Harold and I were married in April of 1973. We just celebrated our 31st anniversary. We have four children (all girls). Marhea - born in 78, Mavis - born in 79, Megan - born in 83, and Melissa - born in 84. We are blessed. We have lived in North Minneapolis for thirty years where we have done foster care and day care in our home for 13 years. I have worked for Minneapolis Public Schools for 18 years, where I manage a computer lab, work with 350-400 students (K-6) and manage their computer learning records for daytime and after-school programs, do all of the scheduling for the building, serve as the official photographer, compile and sell the yearbook each year, and organize summer school (application, transportation, class lists, etc.) I love my job! With all the cutbacks, I am thankful to God that I will still have a job next year. Hundreds will not. Our girls are all grown now. Marhea (26) works for Minnetonka Schools as a one-to-one American Sign Language interpreter for a deaf child. Mavis (25) was just cut from Minneapolis Public Schools as an Educational Assistant. She is looking for employment. Megan (21) is finishing her degree in law enforcement at Mankato State. In one year she will be a police officer. Our world is lucky to have her in this field! Melissa (19) has completed her first year at North Hennepin Community College. Her future is somewhat uncertain because for the past year she has been having seizures. We are trying to find the right medicine that will keep her seizures under control. I enjoy writing poetry, making worksheets, photography, Christian music, and my laptop computer. I am a daily observer and studier of human relationships, feelings, and behaviors - why people do and say what they do (and say). I stop several times a day to thank God for the little things; things that one may miss or take for granted…like…the sunrise, a helpful child, color, encouraging words, a new unfolding leaf on a plant, a butterfly, a hug, a green light, humor, artistic natural light, a smile, trees, or the advice of a child. Kids do say the most profound things. I have struggled through years of counseling for childhood incest, depression, and low self-esteem. I have learned so much and now I daily pursue wisdom. I have learned that it is only by God's Grace that I live at all. |
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| Janet | Cahill | Zimdars | Janet Cahill Zimdars After graduation I went to Gustavus Adolphus College and graduated with a nursing degree. I have worked as a labor and delivery nurse since. After 17 years at Abbott-Northwestern, I have spent the last 15 at North memorial Medical Center. I got married to Steve Zimdars in 1973 and have lived in the same house since 1976. Our son Aaron was born in 1977. He has one 5-year old daughter and lives in Denver. Daughter Jill was born in 1980. After three years active duty in the Army, she is now living in St. Cloud, married, with a 4-year old daughter and using the GI Bill to pay for college. I love being a grandma. |
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| Tim | Callahan | Hello! After high school, attended University of Minnesota for 4 cold years and graduated with BS in Geology. Moved to Texas and have lived as a Southerner ever since. Ft. Worth area was first home with my WBHS 1970 graduate wife, Resa (Michaud) Callahan and son Benjamin. Resa and I met in WBHS in 1968 and have been married for 32 years now - how time flies. Moved to New Orleans - yeah it is a kick - in 1978 until 1984. Since 84 lived in Houston Texas and became a peddler of construction materials and roofing. I unfortunately missed the 30-year reunion but attended all the previous ones. Am looking forward to again seeing that I am not the only one 'aging gracefully.' See you in July! |
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| Carolyn | Carlson | Steinmetz | Despite my best intentions to stay young forever I am a grandma twice over. And I just love my dear little guys. After my mom took my sister and me to Europe in '98 I just couldn't stay home anymore. I have since spent a month or so every summer exploring France, Italy, England and Greece in particular. Kathy Christianson McDonough has joined me on two trips. I still make appliqué sweatshirts and sell them at craft shows, and do a little day trading on the internet, but I'm looking to go "modern" and sell online. So I am trying to learn enough web design and digital photography to do that. ( Will the learning NEVER END?) As I grow older I find I grow colder.....so I have put my house up for sale and am hoping to spend winters in Fort Lauderdale and summers up here. There is no better place than White Bear Lake in the summer. I can't wait to get back to WB and see everyone. Thanks Doug and Suzanne for all your efforts. Carolyn Carlson Steinmetz 3721 33rd St., Elk Mound, Wi. 54739 (715) 874-6059 |
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| Bruce | Chapman | I am the master of procrastination. Here it is july 8 and i have had a check written out since june. The check is going into the mail today. I will attend friday 30th by my lonesome and Sat. 31 with my wife. RECAP: 1969' - '1971 Workin on the river, cleaning and repairing barges, partying as much as possible. '1971' Little college to play more football, and party. '1971 - 1975 Joined US Air force, became interested in medical medical field. must have, most of my life i have been in med. field one way or another. '1975 - 1981 attend college, 6 yrs to finish 3.25 yrs; couldn't come up with any thing i wanted to do for life. '1981 got married ( again ) don't need to talk about 1st marrige. '1981 - 1983 attend century vo-tech wbl to become a Bio-Medical Electronic Technician. I have been doing medical equipment repair for approx. 25 years. '1983' Son Jacob was born, cool kid '1985' Daughter Danielle was born. a bit to much of me is in her. lovely girl. '1975 - 1988' belonged to the US airforce Reserve, great duty, a lot of travel, Air Force Air crew. Aero Medical Evac Medic. '1984 - to present work for Allina Hospitals and Clinics. '1980' - to present and beyond Had a Meeting with the Main Man 'Jesus Christ' changed my life in a twinkling of an eye. God Be the Glory. Now i will have an occasional Adult beverage. not finatical about it, but I do know who the creator is and where my salvation comes from. Hobbies - I have refined my hobbies due to cricketty old joints and age. sports: softball, racketball and running were my main passions, but now i like to ride motorcycle and remodel my home, never ending remodeling. enjoy vacations in Mexico and just hangin out. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK WITH THE CLASS REUNION. LOVE THE WEB SITE. BRUCE CHAPMAN |
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| John | Christianson | July 22, 2004 Hello former Class Mates, Upon graduating I attended the University of Minnesota, Duluth with my good friend from grade & high school, Dennis McCarty. After two years of having mixed results academically a change was required. I proceeded to enlist in U.S. Army and won a trip to S.E. Asia (Vietnam). Fortunately for me (and others), President Nixon (remember him?) decided to reduce troop levels and my time in country totaled 10 months. Actually, military service was a maturing process that was needed. I learned a lot about life and people. Having enlisted for 3 years I finished the remainder of my service time at Ft. Leonardwood, MO. It was at this location that I had one of my most rewarding life experiences. Because of my job assignment (MOS for the Military People) I was able to participate in Project Homecoming. This was the return of the American POWs from N. Vietnam. My specific job while at Ft. Leonardwood was that of a Casualty Notification Specialist in the States of MO & IL for Army personnel. Three other service people and I worked with Survival Assistance Officers with regards to notification of U. S. Army personnel next of kin concerning deaths and missing in action. When our POWs returned we had the honor of being a small piece of the process in communicating information to their next of kin and insuring that their needs were addressed. After my military foray I returned home with the intent of going back to school. Well, I managed to get distracted by an employment offer as a buyer for a farm cooperative called Cenex. My high school years of working at Reed’s Drug and my military experience paid off. My job interviewer (soon to be my boss) was an ex-World War II Navy person and he took a liking to me. He told me it was obvious I knew one end of a hammer from the other and I was hired. He was a great mentor and I again was fortunate to be associated with some outstanding people. During this time I managed to introduce my friend from high school & College, Dennis, (I’ve only known this guy since 6th grade you would think we would get tired of each other) to his wife. (He paid me back a year so later and played a part in introducing me to my wife, Sandra.) Turn about is fair play. Sandy and I were married in 1979 and I became a father through marriage. Rodney was 7 years old at the time. I was a doubly blessed. A great spouse and son that would allowed us to experience together the fun years of Cub & Boy Scouts, Soccer, Football, Baseball, all the fun stuff. He now lives in Denver and is 33 years old. (That makes me how old? Better not go there.) Having worked four years at Cenex I was lured away from my buying position and became a Manufactures Representative. Again my past experiences allowed three other gentlemen and me to start our own firm (North Wing Sales Associates) in 1983. We have been in business for over 20 years marketing several manufacturers’ product lines to the Farm / Hardware Store Trade. This is more that I intended to write, but once the spigot is opened it is difficult to turn off. (Must come from the sales experience.) John Christianson 11288 London Ct. NE Blaine MN 55449 |
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| Deborah | Crossfield | Mayer | The life of Debbie Mayer (Crossfield ) I graduated from Century College in 1971. Did odd jobs until I went to 916 Vo Tech for Child Development and started a pre school (then called nursery school) at my church, Christ Lutheran, in North St. Paul in 1975. I was married to Tim in 1976. We bought a house across from south campus on Elm Dr in 1977, only six blocks from my folk’s house. Becky was born in 1979 and my second daughter, Liz, was born in 1981. I quit teaching then to be a full time mom. I started volunteering at their school and never quit volunteering. Now I’m at a thrift store called Mission Wearhouse in Little Canada. It’s not far from where I grew up on Edgerton in Vadnais Heights where the freeway went right through our bathroom as my sister always liked to say. So I’ve stuck close to this little corner of the world. God has been very good to me. |
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| Sharon | Elinger | Marble | Sharon Elinger Marble I now have lived in Billings, Montana, longer that I lived in Minnesota, but still feel my Midwestern roots, and occasionally get teased on how I pronounce a word or two. As in high school, music still plays an important part of my daily life as I utilize my M.Ed. and play the role of teacher to 30+ piano students. I am also our church organist and gig around town (even played piano at a reception for Bill Cosby). I love listening to songs of the 60's, which take me down memory lane, songs that were an integral part of our teen years. Besides teaching, I work mornings in a law office and I enjoy the balance between the two hats I wear. My husband, Dave, is a wonderful man and partner. We just celebrated 11 years of marriage. He runs a family-owned nursery/antiques business that keeps us fairly close to home, but we recently bought a Mini Cooper S and are finding time to enjoy short (but fast) road trips with it. My three stepchildren (2 from my previous marriage) are all married, and Dave's son will make us grandparents in October - a new role to enjoy in our lives. Just after July 4th, we added a Sheltie puppy to our family, to replace another we recently said farewell to after 16+ years. I am disturbed and distressed at the current world situation, and often ponder the "history" we have all lived through in half a century. Such changes. I am so thankful for the times we grew up in, for family, health, church, travel experiences, and I so appreciate the WBL classmates/band members I've kept in touch with - Janet, Deanna, Linda, Melissa, Jean, and Gabe. I occasionally wonder what and where the rest of my WBL classmates are doing, so I enjoy the recaps. How many of our teachers are still around (Harry Meyer)? I look forward to renewing acquaintances at the 35th reunion and coming "home" for a visit. Go Bears! |
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| Richard | Emery | What a long, strange trip it’s been. I can’t believe it’s 35 years later and that things turned out the way they did. Whatever your life has been like, it hasn’t been like mine. I don’t remember high school too well, but I do remember the naysayers, the assholes who basically told me all the way along that I couldn’t be what I wanted to be, that I should compromise and settle for something realistic and easy. They were wrong. I graduated from Northland College on time, 1973, B.A. in biology and chemistry. I got an M.S. from the University of Wisconsin in 1981 and did graduate level work in plant breeding and genetics at the University of Minnesota. I was employed as a factory worker, carpenter, photographer, weather station manager and did genetic research among other things. I started flying in high school and got my commercial, instrument, multi-engine and flight instructor ratings along the way. I flew for the Air Force (as a civilian) and lived on base during the first Gulf War, in early 1991. It was amazing taxiing out to take off in the morning between F-15’s and F-111’s on their way to war. Late in 1992 I moved back to White Bear without a job and soon was hired by a company that got involved in two patent infringement lawsuits. There were no pilot jobs then and within about two years I got admitted and went to law school, graduating from William Mitchell in 1999. I am now admitted to practice in Minnesota, the Federal Courts and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. I worked for a big Minneapolis law firm for awhile and am now practicing intellectual property law out of my house, which is just down the street from the one I grew up in. Most of my practice relates to medical devices and treatments, but I also represent clients who are artists and musicians. I’ve traveled a lot and lived in, I think, 11 states since 1969. Once in the middle of law school finals I went to Cleveland to see Buffalo Springfield perform for the first time in 29 years, but Neil Young didn’t show up so they didn’t play. Another time, in 2001, I flew to France on four days notice for a client only to find myself exhausted, jetlagged and lost with the sun going down walking around suburban Reims with 70 lbs. of luggage and 20 words of French looking for a hotel because my host didn’t show up. My life has been full of great art, music, food, travel, science, history, skiing, sailing, flying, dogs and most importantly, family and lots of old and new friends. My health has always been perfect except for some self-inflicted orthopedic injuries. There have been hard times and some incredibly sick and ugly people, but strangely they somehow make it more complete. I have never married or had kids, but after several decades of dating the mentally ill, I’m now in a committed relationship with a beautiful and loving woman. I’ve had almost everything I ever wanted; I’m the luckiest of men, I really am. Tell your kids not to listen to people who tell them they can’t do it. |
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| Angela | Gill | Sanders | After WBHS I attended Macalester College, and graduated in 1973 with a BA in biology and music (yeah, right). I worked for several years at the Schmitt Music Center in Mpls, as well as at a couple of church jobs -- Holman United Methodist Church and Pilgrim Baptist Church, both in St. Paul. In 1977 I moved to Boulder CO to attend grad school in music. Got my MMus and DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) in organ performance -- strange, but true. I finished in 1983, the day before I married Mark H. Saunders, a civil engineering grad student and officer in the US Navy. I moved to Newport News, VA, worked full-time at Larchmont United Methodist Church, as well as teaching at Old Dominion University. About that time, I joined a professional Renaissance music group. Kristen, my first daughter, was born in 1985 at Langley Air Force Base. In 1987 I moved to Lakehurst, NJ, site of the demise of the Hindenburg, and lived on the Navy base there. Kerri, the second child, arrived in 1988, in Toms River, NJ. I worked part-time at various churches. In 1992 we moved to Memphis, TN. Several years later, Mark retired from the Navy and is currently working as a civil engineer for the City of Bartlett, where we live. I have been "churching" in the area, and am now employed at Trinity United Methodist in Memphis. We haven't seen Elvis, and we aren't looking. The kids are teens, and Kristen has just finished a year at Texas A & M, Galveston in marine biology. She's switching majors and schools, so it's theatre at the University of Memphis -- chip off the old block. Kerri is a rising junior in high school, color guard alum, and is active in the Options program, funded by the National Science Foundation. My current hobbies are computing and lizards -- never met one I didn't like. I'd enjoy hearing from anyone and everyone from the Class of '69 (yay!), or y'all could ride down the Mississippi and drop by! |
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| James | Hamilton | Although collapsing 35 years of one's life into a few paragraphs should not be a simple thing, I find it is at the moment. Since leaving high school, I've lost some friends to time, death, and distance and made many more. I've had the great good fortune to have been in love on more than one occasion and to have married a woman who has not only tolerated me for more than 30 years, but who has walked arm-in-arm with me through various kinds of hell. Along the way, we acquired a son, now 12. Watching him grow has been the most amazing (and instructive) thing in my life to date. I don't expect that will ever be surpassed. In a nutshell, life is good and getting better. |
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| Ed | King | Connie | Been there, done that, haven't you? Maybe not what you mean. How about graduated HS, went into Air Force for 4 years, naw, that's not it. Ok, here we go: Schooling - 2 years Vo-Tech for Aircraft Mechanics after the Air Force, then many junior and other colleges. Married - had two children, both grown and on their own. One has given me 2 grandchildren, the other is still single and loving it. Somewhere along the line, got divorced. Have worked for Northwest Airlines for 24+ years. Been in the training end of the industry for 15 years; can you imagine me teaching? Recently remarried - finally found the woman of my dreams and I am happier than I have ever been before. Oh yeah, I'm also a lot more relaxed. Love to roller blade, try to participate in North Shore Inline Marathon as often as I can get into shape for it. Still in MN though I am getting awfully tired of the long winters. Enough already - looking forward to the reunion and hearing everyone else's recaps. | |
| Steve | Klawiter | Dear Class of '69' grads; As I think back to our high school days, I don’t think that the novel idea of ‘modular scheduling’ was beneficial to students like me who had no sense of self-discipline. I do not regret, however, the many times I snuck into the band room to practice the piano. Harry Meyer finally got tired of kicking me out and would let me play as long as the room was not needed by a band member. Other than that - I pretty much squandered at least half of every school day and goofed off with friends. It was a lot more fun than it should have been. Regrettably, I have not attended any of the ‘69 class reunions. I have kept in touch with only a handful of grads. Some of you will recall Denise Langlois. Her family and mine were friendly through the Lakeshore Players. (My entire family was closely associated with Lakeshore Players from its very beginning when it purchased the Presbyterian Church of White Bear) Denise and her husband, Alan Cebrian, have settled in Sacramento and we still keep in touch. I also communicate with Ed Saros and Jim Hughes. Shortly after graduation I turned 18 and was very relieved to get a high Vietnam draft number. (When people ask me if I’ve ever won the lottery - I tell them I won big in 1969) My older brother Kim served with distinction in Vietnam and came home to establish a career with the Minnesota State highway patrol. He retired in 2002. In my senior year at WBHS I took the course in boys food service and liked it enough to apply to St. Paul Vocational Institute for the fall semester cooking class in ‘69. I didn’t think that music and piano playing could provide a dependable income but I really didn’t know if cooking would be the primary plan or the back-up plan. I graduated Vo-Tech in ‘71 and worked as the chef at the Holiday House which was/is the Polynesian restaurant adjacent to White Bear Bowl on Highway 61. During my two years at the Holiday House I became more interested with the piano. But my parents had divorced and I had my own apartment but couldn’t afford a piano. The only way I could practice was to drive to the University of Minnesota and pretend I was a music student. The music department was located in Scott Hall on the campus and I went there hundreds of times to practice. Luckily I was never found out. In 1970, Lakeshore Players announced they were going to have an ‘amateur night’ and I put together a jazz trio with Jim Hughes on bass and Brad Walden on drums. (Both WBHS ‘69 grads) This was my first public piano performance. I was hooked on the idea of playing the piano professionally from that moment on although it was a few more years before I totally weaned myself from cooking. I moved to St. Louis Park and bought a home in July of ‘73. Not long after that I formed a five piece group which consisted of piano, bass, and drums with a male and a female singer. We were called ‘Crosswinds’ and we had steady rotating work at the IDS Center Crossroads), Sadies Parlor (top of the Sheraton Ritz), Hanson House (on Long Lake), the Hippogriff (Highway 12 - St. Louis Pk.), Howard Wong’s and the Thunderbird on 494. Alas, most of these venues no longer exist. I met my first wife - Kristin - at Howard Wong’s and we were married in ‘77. I blame myself for the divorce two years later but it is ancient history. We had no children. I worked with various groups and occasionally as a solo pianist at the Registry, Kelly’s, and the Radisson South but steady work was hard to find in the mid 80’s. I was visiting a pianist friend of mine one evening in March of 1986 when he got a phone call offering him an open-ended gig on a cruise ship based in Miami called the Scandinavian Sun. Coincidentally I had been considering the idea of renting out my house and moving to Florida or California. (I have never been enamored with the Minnesota winters) To tell the truth I was simply ‘California Dreaming’ but my friend declined the job, handed me the phone, and my life changed that day as I accepted the job which was to start April 20th. Events seemed to controlling me as I found a couple to rent my house and plotted a course for Miami in mid-April. My Honda Civic barely made the journey. The Scandinavian Sun didn’t really have an itinerary. It was a ‘shuttle cruise’ from Miami to Freeport in the Bahamas. I played piano/keyboards with the ships’ ten piece show band. My contract was for 3 months but kept getting renewed and I was happy as a clam. I got involved with one of the casino dealers who was from Paisley, Scotland. At the same time even the crystal blue/turquoise waters of the Bahamas were getting old and I was starting to long for dry land. In a terribly regrettable and myopic disposition, I proposed marriage to the lass from Scotland and we were married in the fall of 1988. We bought a flat in Paisley using the profit from the sale of my home in St. Louis Park. After two stormy years (the weather and the marriage) steady piano work was difficult to come by and the mutual decision was made for me to try to find work in the United States. When I was able to line up regular work and a place to live - she would then join me. Almost immediately I found lots of work in the beautiful city of San Francisco. I rented a nice apartment and sent for my wife, Joyce. She changed her mind about moving, opted out of our arrangement, and the marriage ended shortly thereafter. That was fourteen years ago. I love this city as much today as I did when I first arrived in 1990. It has a solid tourism industry and the hotels have healthy occupancy rates. Almost all of my work is related to the hotel circuit. Being self-taught, I consider myself very lucky to still eke out a fair subsistence in a perilous trade. All this is probably more than you needed or wanted to know but I have not (until recently) been in communication with Doug, Sue, or anybody associated with past reunions. Thus instead of an ‘update’ I am starting from square one. Looking forward to seeing my old friends at Guldens. Hope life has been kind to all of you. Sincerely; Steve Klawiter |
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| Susan | Korfhage | (Recreated by Sue Vilendrer from a phone conversation she had with Susie on 4-14-04) Hello Everyone, I'm sorry that I won't be able to attend the reunion this year. I became a Jehovah's Witness four years ago and don't feel that a reunion is a place where I should be, even though I would love to see everyone and visit. I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life by witnessing to others. I love going to the Jehovah's Witness conventions with my fellow church members and elders who are very kind and supportive of me. I go out and witness to others and have been rated with "A's" for all of the speeches that I give when I make my rounds. I'm the happiest and healthiest I've ever been. I was able to quit smoking without effort because I was healed. I still work part-time at Key's Restaurant in downtown WBL and have worked there 12 years. It's been 11 years since my father passed away and just recently I've finally gotten over his death which left a big hole in my life. I still live with my mother in the same house that I grew up in. My two sisters are doing well. Karen has 3 boys and Megan has 3 girls. My nieces and nephews range in age from 8-23 years old. Every New Year's Eve, Kenny Fleck, (my Sadie Hawkins date) calls me up to wish me a "Happy New Year." He's done this for the past 35 years. I think it's very nice that he continues to remember me. I will remember all of you at the reunion, even though I won't be there in person. Susie |
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| Mary | Kostuch | Still living in Wisconsin with husband, Jim (class of '66). Jim continues to work for Norlight Telecommunications. I'm still teaching preschool. My son, Don, works for the postal service in St. Paul. He recently moved to Hastings where he and his wife have built a home. He has blessed me with a 5-year-old grandson, Marcel, and 15-month-old granddaughter, Janelle. My oldest daughter, Julie, completed her master's degree last year from the University of Oklahoma in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy. She lives and works in Princeton, NJ, for the New School for Music Study as a teacher and music editor. My youngest daughter, Jillian, works as a surgical tech. for Froedtert Memorial Hospital in Milwaukee. She has returned to school, attending Carroll College, to pursue a bachelor's degree in Psychology. Her lofty goal is to become an anesthesiologist. |
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| Mary | Lauer | Okerstrom | I have been married to my husband Mike for almost 31 years. We have one daughter and 3 grandchildren. We lived in Cambridge MN. for 20 years. I was a stay at home mom for 10 years and then worked as a home health aide for 10 years. In 1997 we sold our house and Quit our jobs and became full time RVers. We worked in campgrounds for awhile and then started making and selling crafts. We spent our winters down south and summers here in MN. After 7 years we bought a little piece of woods in Kettle River,MN. I work part time doing food demos at Walmart. The last reunion that I was at was the 25th. I am looking forward to attending this one. Hope to see you all there. Mary (Lauer) Okerstrom (Her picture has been added to the senior photo list DCM) |
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| Linda | Lindau | Letourneau | Herb (1966 WBL graduate) and I have been married for 34 years. We have completed the confirmation, graduation (high school and college) and wedding celebrations for our two children. Our daughter has two daughters of her own, ages 6 and 2 1/2. Our son has two children, son 10 and daughter 7. The grandchildren are the best. Herb and I have owned our own business (H&L Machine) for the past 29 years. I went from working full time outside the home and 1/4 time for the business to working full time with Herb the past eight years. We have lived in Chisago City for 32 years and in the same home for 25 years. Six years ago, when the family size again increased, we put a beautiful addition on the rambler. Between gardening, riding our Goldwing, the Cushman's or the '65 Corvette, family, friends, traveling, sewing, and projects, our life is full. | |
| Douglas | Magnuson | A recap is for those people who remember the way you were. It seems to us, that we are the same, that everyone else is so different. Graduation night was one of the perfect evenings that come to us so rarely in Minnesota. There was a redish blue rim on a dark sky just as the ceremony was beginning. It is called commencement because it is supposed to be a beginning. Later on, when astronaut Robert Crippen was asked what it was like to ride up in the first shuttle, he said, “When the shuttle was released, I had the definite feeling we were leaving the planet.” After crossing the stage we began to float away and we were not coming back for a long while. We are well in to mid arc but have traveled many different paths. College was really hard. I was so silly. I am still kind of proud, that I like to be silly. The work, for the most part, was welcome. I applied for the U of M because it was cheap and in my back yard. There was no need to pay for a dorm room for I could commute. I never gave a thought that I would not be accepted. The work was hard. It got harder. We had a bunch of foreign students in the class who complained that their health was suffering. After three years in the program I stopped by one of the office bulletin boards. It compared the various Chemical Engineering programs across the country and listed the top ten rated schools. The list put us at number 2 behind U of Wisconsin. It struck me how silly I was, to not know this. Things started to taper off in the spring of ‘73. I met my wife to be at one of those dance places in WI. Those were the years that you could drink at 18 in WI. My car had a case of oil in the back. I would burn 2 quarts in a night. I did not even bother to get the kind with detergent in it because it did not spend enough time in the engine. Nancy and I were married a little over a year later. We spent about 8 weeks “On the Moon”. We had a mix of work and holiday that brought us to Glacier National Park, Banff National Park at Lake Louise and Edmonton and Alberta. We stopped off at work in Milwaukee and then out to Boston for 3 weeks of training. After the moon (long after) it was time for something completely different. We started a family in 1978 with our first son Brian and followed that closely with Brett in 1979. Both the boys have now graduated from college. They have begun their own arcs. During this time I have changed cities from Milwaukee WI, Hopkins and Apple Valley MN, Troy MI, Hopkinton and Westborough MA, Cheshire CT, and now San Diego, CA. It seems like a lot of changes now but not so much when we were doing it. It has been 35 years. While in Troy MI, we had our third, a daughter, Lauren. There was a standing rule at the time that a student in the Michigan State MBA program should not have a child during the program. Well we did, right in the middle. Hey, Dad had plenty of time to sit while doing his homework. Besides, the clock was ticking and we did not want to be retired before our last child was graduated from college. Lauren has just graduated from Rancho Bernardo HS, a few days ago. At least we had a child around the house for 6 more years. Her rocket is scheduled to leave the planet. She will go to UC Santa Barbara in the fall. The HS graduation was a very nice affair. As we get older we realize more and more that the end of HS is really the beginning. Just, as they say, commencement. I get to travel a bit with GP Battery Inc. I was in Denmark this spring and make a trip to Hong Kong about once a year. Most of us lived in the same neighborhood until we graduated. HS was a common experience for most of us. We don’t really remember the schoolwork, we remember the people. Most of all we remember our friends. But there were, thank goodness, some characters. I do have some fond memories. I listed quite a few on the last recap. You can read all of the collected recaps from 1999 and 2004 on the website. I would like to list: Almost fainting when Coach Ditz started to pat guys on the back during blocking practice. I remember winning (more than) a few games. One, memorable to me is when I grabbed an Oskie during a JV game. Some varsity guys came to watch and it was very satisfying. That year, we practiced at night under the game field lights because of the extra playoff game at the end of the season. You definitely wanted to get in to the scrimmage to keep from freezing. Coach Espe was such a nice guy and so modest. He virtually never showed off his strength. One day though, in the weight room, while we were trying to press 150 lbs over our heads, he picked up the bar and reverse curled it, with a little chuckle. Omigosh! Kerry Reimer was my good buddy. He kept me out of trouble and arranged to gain the run of the labs for doing a few dishes and setting up a few experiments for teachers. We became known as the lab assistants. We had chess games in the back with Charlie Marsh and Terry Jones. We also blew up a few rockets on the soccer field. Kerry built an apparatus complete with a large tube like for a Neon sign for ionizing gas. We could look at the bright lines with a spectrophotometer that the physics department purchased. My favorite was ionizing air. Unlike Neon, it gave off a soft and beautiful purplish glow. We covered a back room window with black construction paper to keep out the light and make it dark enough to see. One of our buddies discovered that he could overload a critical fuse with an oven. This would shut off all the lights in several of the science rooms until they found this difficult to replace item. It was amusing, but once was enough. It made one a little embarrassed. Like squashing a bug. It was satisfying to know that it worked and nobody was the wiser. We turned our attention to more constructive things Dick Slade asked us to demo some chemistry for some Jr. High kids. The object was to demonstrate the fun of wondering what this stuff was. Naturally color, motion, and noise was a priority so we went for fire and explosions. We put hydrogen and oxygen in balloons for exploding and wood splints in to Potassium Chlorate for flame throwing. It was fun to ask the kid in the back to come out of their shell for a few seconds to light the fuse or drop in the wood splint. We might have excited one or two kids enough to look in to what we were doing. See attached. The there was the time that I showed up for large group English and they started a movie 5 min after class started. I ran in and felt for my chair on the aisle. I could not find it. I was feeling several arms with lots of laughter, because I could not see anything. Frustrated I went to the back and waited until my eyes adjusted. Ron Magadanz had invited a friend to class and they were sitting in my seat! Imagine that. Ah computers. In those days we were renting CPU time for $1,000 an hour. So HS students only got a few seconds a piece. Still, it was pretty cool. We should all support our schools they way our parents supported us. Even now, when our kids are out already. In the winter, as we all know, it gets pretty cold. I would trudge by the hockey arenas around 6pm when they were flooding the rinks. What a tough job, I always thought. Walking home from gymnastics practice was not so cold because, even after a shower, you were pretty warm from the workout. You could stand and steam a bit. One night it was so cold that the snow was squeaking. I noticed that under the lights the snow was falling in individual flakes. You could reach out your hand and watch them fall onto it, one by one. I went out for gymnastics because Steve Langehough impressed me so much. Later on he spent so much time on tumbling and floor exercise that I did not get to see him that much during practice. It was in a separate area near the pool tables. By then, I was a lumbering 6’2”. Way too big to be in such a sport. But it was great to hang out. Al Doerer was a horse specialist and it was fun to work with him and all the guys. The funniest thing I did was join a parallel bar tryout. During the routine one had to do a handstand. After about the 5th repetition I was so tired that all I could do was lock up. I was in a handstand and if I moved I was going to fall on my head. Bill Murray started to laugh when he realized my predicament. He said ”okay” you can continue twice and I did not move. Luckily he was on a spotter table. He grabbed me in the waist and held it until I curled down. We both had a good laugh. I only went out for two sports so I got the experience of a “normal” human being in the spring. I got off from school at 2-3:30 and enjoyed watching the guys practice baseball. It was like being on vacation. It was a break from going home around 6pm. The last reunion was nicely done considering the extremely short notice they got before the big night. Sue Vilendrer Donnell and Carolyn Carlson Steinmetz did all of the work. I teamed with Sue this year by making the web page and collecting and collating the mailing lists. She has done all the rest. I hope everyone will come because it is people the make a reunion. The venue is really nice, so it will be comfortable. Doug |
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| Bob | Maslowski | The last reunion I went to was the one at Trout Air. A lot has happened in the past 35 years. My wife and I have been married 26 years as of June 3rd. We lived in North Branch Minn. for many years and had built a solor powered cabin in Two Harbors. We now live in Soldotna Alaska which is on the Kenai Peninsula. We live about a block off the Kenai River which is world famous for it's salmon fishing. We live in a log house about 17 miles out of town. Our daughter, who lives in Minn., just got married on Valentine's Day and lives in St. Paul and our son lives up here in town and is thinking of finishing school in California. People sure scatter. I worked on Off shore oil platforms for a while and am now on shore building homes. With our kids grown up and on their own it's just my wife and I and Buster the Bulldog. I won't be able to make the reunion but will be thinking of everyone and hope you have a good time. |
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| Joe | Nakanishi | Joe Nakanishi Received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota. Has been working for the Great Lakes Region of the Federal Aviation Administration for 29 ½ years. In recent years has done a lot of work on runway approach light systems. Married Barbara, an architect, in May 1999. Joe and Barbara honeymooned on the South Pacific Islands of Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora in French Polynesia. They live in suburban Chicago. Joe’s a member of the Midwest Bonsai Society. He’s also a member of the Stick and Rudder Flying Club at Waukegan Airport where he’s a licensed private pilot and flies a single engine airplane. He also enjoys working out, running and hiking. Joe’s Mom still lives in White Bear Lake. |
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| Dave | Nelson | Still strong in my marriage to Fe - 31 years. Still strong at my job at West Publishing - 35 years. Still looking for that day to retire. Still losing hair. Still have my 1949 Chevy. Still eat a lot but never gain weight. Still believing the Lord blessed me with a wonderful life. |
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| Nancy | Nelson | Kopesky | It is hard to believe it has been 35 years since graduation! I graduated from the U of M School of Nursing in 1973 and worked at the University Hospital until early 1974 when I married Dave Kopesky (North St. Paul 1967) and started work at Divine Redeemer Hospital in So. St. Paul. I switched to St. Johns Hospital in 1989 where I still work. I have been an ICU nurse for the last 27 years. We have lived in Maplewood for 18 years, the last 9 at our current address. We have four children, Andy 27, Ed 25, Emily 23 and Jim 20 who all graduated from North High. Ed will be the first to marry, getting married in Boston in June 2005 shortly after he gets his PhD from MIT in Cambridge. Our other three kids all still live in the metro area and are doing well. My parents are healthy and active and live in the home in WBL where I grew up. Dave hopes to retire at the end of 2005 after which we plan to travel as much as our money allows. I plan to work a few more years. I enjoy gardening, my golf league, long-time friends and grandkids (someday I hope!). Nancy (Nelson) Kopesky |
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| Deanna | Oestreich | Suto | Wow.....I can't believe it's been 35 years since high school graduation!! I live in Olmsted Twp., Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland). Our two daughters have moved out so Bob and I are officially "empty-nesters"! I'm still teaching Spanish (and an after-school program) at a local Montessori School. My hippo collection (started in 10th grade) has grown to well over a thousand hippos (you should see my house!). I recently joined an international group of hippo collectors and lovers and will soon attend my second "hippo reunion" in Seattle. Well....we have to have to SOME weird hobby to keep us young?! The rest of my family still lives in or around White Bear Lake so I'm often there. If any of you are ever in the Cleveland area, call me and we'll get together! |
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| Anita | Parenteau | Flynn | Wow! 35 years goes by SO FAST!! Wasn't it just yesterday we were cruising the circles in our mini-skirts and frosted lipsticks...teased hair and black eyeliner? There are times is seems like yesterday, and times it seems like a million years ago, or someone else was living that 60's life! It has been 20 years since I have seen most of my classmates, and doesn't look like a lot of the ones who knew me well will be coming this year, but I want to attend and re-connect with those I can...maybe get to know a few better! My life has been a full one......full of ups and downs....full of family and friends...full of love and discovery....just as many of yours have! I have read all the recaps with fascination (I feel almost voyeuristic!) And would love to see more from some of the people who haven't written, as I do fondly remember many. A recap of highlights from my past would certainly include my five year marriage after high school to my sweetheart, Paul Larson.......Vietnam was instrumental in putting an end to that relationship, as war can do things to people no one wants to talk about! Suffice it to say he finally found it a good idea to settle down with a woman much like myself in the last 15 years or so, and enjoys a good life in North Carolina (for those of you who remember him!) My gift from our short marriage was a beautiful daughter who grew to be a wonderful person....we can both be proud....five years after our divorce, I married again....this time it stuck! We celebrated our 25th anniversary this year, and are still counting! We have three other great kids...well, young adults....a daughter just graduated from the University of Connecticut, an oldest son still trying to find his niche in the world, and our youngest son who will be a sophomore at the School of the A! rt Institute of Chicago in the fall....all terrific people! Oh yes, the oldest from my first marriage graduated from Fordham University in NY with a masters in Social Work, and we have watched her grow in both beauty and wisdom as the years have gone by....welcomed her new husband to our family last Oct.2003....and can't WAIT for the grandkids!!! (Lucky all you who already have them!) As you can see, my life has been busy with family.... To be fair, guess I should give you the scoop that I actually had a career in Fashion before the kids over ran me....took secretarial work after high school, but never enjoyed it...after my oldest daughter was born and we were on our own, I needed a career in order to support us, so at the ripe old age of 25, took a crash course in Fashion Merchandising from the Patrena Lowthian School in downtown Mpls....a great lady....the school was not accredited at the time, but is now....they found me a job after school and I began my career at John Heller's at Southdale....but just about the time I had developed a good clientele, Dave and I decided to marry, and the advent of the first of our children forced me to work from home....I set up a Fashion Consulting business (which no one had ever heard of in the midwest at that time!) and had a great time for a couple years...then along came the rest of the kids and going out to do ANY work got to a point where it did not really pay, so.....we opened a Daycare in our home in Eagan and I ran that for two years til we were brought to the east coast by Citibank for Dave's career....that was 19 years ago, and we've been here ever since....although I have dabbled in a few other businesses...health, beauty, cakes, catering...and tried to go back to retail fashion at one point....so far I am still pretty much a privilaged 'stay-at-home' mom! Of course all of 2003 and part of 2002 were spent working pretty much full time on my daughters' wedding, then this year from just before her wedding in Oct. 2003 til now has been spent as 'Supervisor on the Job' for our MAJOR house renovation and transformation!! Anyone who has ever dealt with either of these two events knows what I am talking about...they can CONSUME you! So now I am on the search for my next career...the house will be finished in a few months and perhaps I will attempt to transer my skills to interior decorating or, if all else fails, ! let me tell you that in Fairfield County where we live....there's ALWAYS Real Estate!! Lot's of people have tried to encourage me in that direction.....only time will tell.....I bet lots of us are in the same boat....almost, or are, 'Empty Nesters'....I always say "Now I have to decide what I'm going to be when I grow up!" - Hah! Life has certainly been an adventure, as you can see...and I choose to count nothing but the blessings along the way, as they far outshine the darkness....thank you, Lord!! God Bless all of you richly......til we meet again......Anita |
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| Ralph | Peltier | Hello to all. I believe the last reunion I attended was the 15th, it was the one at Trout-aire. Since then I've led somewhat of a nomadic life. In 1987 I followed work to Phoenix, AZ. We followed work to Kansas City in 1997. In 1999 we moved back to Arizona. In January 2001 we moved home (I picked the worst winter in 10 years to return home.) I've worked in the restaurant biz all of this time, mostly bouncing around the quick service industry. Currently I am working for Applebees in Woodbury on Valley Creek Rd. In 1989 I remarried, my wife JoAnn brought three daughters to the relationship and I brought one son. Our family now includes five grandchildren. Two of the girls remained in Arizona, one is in Oakdale and the son lives in Arlington, VA. Looking forward to seeing you in July, Ralph and JoAnn |
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| William | Petryk | For the past seventeen years my working life has been tied to Boeing here in Seattle. Kind of a roller coaster. It’s been one loooong descent since 9/11, and we’re just coming to the bottom. It’s been a tough three years for the airplane business, as the several classmates working for Northwest will agree. Fortunately my home life has been pretty stable – five grown kids in the area and eight grandchildren that Linda and I see a lot. Most of my time at home is spent remodeling. I’m working my second cycle on the same house, trying to get it right this time. I’ve found that along the way that I’ve become a decent carpenter, plumber, electrician, brick mason and sheet rocker. Enough to make a living at it if need be, which is always a comfort in uncertain times. Other than time with tools, we have a boat for water skiing and enjoy an occasional vacation trip, mostly here in Washington and Oregon except for the occasional return to Minnesota. I still spend a lot of time reading, to my wife’s occasional frustration, and have accumulated a respectable knowledge of maritime history. In the past few years I’ve become interested in the Northern Pacific Railroad, having lived most of my life within hearing of either the eastern or western end of their line. I’m looking forward to retirement and more time to pursue some of those interests. I hope to see a lot of friends at the reunion. Thanks to Sue and Doug for working it all out. |
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| Vernette | Phillips | Karwoski | My husband has retired from his job of 27 years as a Washington County Deputy Sheriff. He now teaches Law Enforcement courses at Mankato State so we split our time between Scandia and Mankato. I have started a new business called Fiber Spun 4 Ewe. I spin fiber into yarn, I sell not only yarns but also fiber. Everything from angora, alpaca to various breeds of sheep wool. It is my dream job..hopefully it will become busy!! Still working casually in the ER. | |
| Nancy | Robinson | Tatge | See attachment | http://wbl69.homestead.com/files/nancytatgerecap.pdf |
| Susan | Rushay | Fritze | I have just moved from Denver to Bonita Springs,, Florida, and feel that I will be unpacking boxes for the next several months, if not years. I am so lucky; I was able to retire in March 2003 from a position as an auditor with the Colorado Division of Insurance. I am able to get 75% of my salary with a guaranteed annual increase and I no longer have to work. Even better, I no longer have to shovel snow. I enjoy yoga and walking on the beach regularly. My old cat, Phantom, and newer standard poodle, Ponzi, are adjusting to air-conditioning and a screened lanai area with pool. Leaving a good group of friends and a church I loved in Denver has been difficult, but I am looking forward to new friends and experiences - like the alligators in the pond behind my house! | |
| Jacqueline | Schwieger | Lerud | I currently live in Shoreview, MN, with my husband of 11 years, Russ. I have a 25 year old son, Andy Williquett, and a 21 year old daughter, Whitney Williquett. I have been a speech pathologist in the North St. Paul School District since 1986 and I will be continuing to teach there as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. Time is going way too fast and I look forward to seeing friends from WBL. | |
| James | Sullivan | I am married to the same woman for 31 years. I have two married daugthers and three granddaughters and a grandson on the way. I work for US Bank in downtown St. Paul MN. I have been there for six years. I live in Woodbury MN for the last eight years. It will be wonderful to see everyone again. I live at. 7936 Heinbuch Trail Woodbury MN 55125 Home Phone 651-738-8142 Work Phone 651-495-3706 Cell Phone 612-723-0013 |
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| Coleen | Thorson | I moved to Fort Lauderdale in August 2002, taking a job as a librarian and Branch Manager for the Dania Beach branch of Broward County Library. My kids are still up north in Mpls. and Madison. My sisters, Renee Moreno (class of 1967) lives here, too, and Carole Daugherty (class of 1971) lives in Cape Coral near Fort Myers. I enjoy the weather, the ocean, fixing up my little house (which my sister and I have totally renovated, doing most of the work ourselves) and gardening. Have fun at the reunion! C. |
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| Susan | Valento | Grace | I am married with 3 children and 3 grandchildren. Have always lived in White Bear Lake. Work part-time doing medical transcription. | |
| Rosemary | Westin | McCall | 2004 Recap - Rosemary Westin McCall In high school, I couldn’t imagine that I’d ever stand in my front yard and watch rockets shoot off into space; or watch a 13-foot alligator float by my backyard; or pat a friendly manatee from our dock (who’d ever heard of a manatee?). Wading in the ocean on my lunch hour would have been too much to hope for. So would singing in a Disney production. (Recently volunteered to be one of fifty singers for an event at Animal Kingdom. Such fun!) In high school, it would have been way too weird to picture 53 year old me singing in a rock ‘n roll band; but the guys on our church worship team have been a Christian rock band for over a decade. I help provide the high notes for Sunday praise & worship! For someone who never wanted to be a secretary, I’m amazed to find myself at a desk in Mission Assurance at the Kennedy Space Center. To have a small part in space exploration is an awesome privilege with an occasional perk: a few months ago, a co-worker gave me a guided tour of “Discovery”, along with the Vehicle Assembly Building where it all comes together before launch. Our oldest son graduated HS in 2000 and is content, for now, to be working at a local gas station, and playing guitar. The youngest is finishing up his AA degree and working on finalizing his plans for college and career. Husband John joined the local Masters Swim team and broke the world record for his age in 100 m. butterfly, as well as beating his best college time! Also got hired by one of his teammates to be a consultant for Darden Restaurants. God works in mysterious ways. Life is surprising-and good-and fun! |
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| Jean | Woehrle | Zatochill | I graduated from Ancker School of Nursing in 1972. That was St. Paul-Ramsey Hospital at the time. I worked in the Intensive Care Unit and ER at the old Miller Hospital. Now gone. I moved to Seattle in 1974. I followed my intern friend Don Zatochill. He had a Residency to complete at the Univ. of Washington. We planned to be out here 2 years. In 1977 we returned to WBL to get married. In Seattle I continued to work in ICUs and later in Home Care and School Nursing. In 1980 I completed the RNB program at the Univ. of Washington. I earned a BS in Nursing. You may recall in 1980 Mt. St. Helen's blew. We were here and could hear it blow that Sunday morning in May in Seattle. We had planned to climb it in March that year. All bets were off by then because of the activity happening up there. My husband did climb it (what was left) several years later when the mountain was reopened. We both did a lot of rock and glacier climbs in the 1980s. We belong to the Seattle Mountaineers. I'm done with that. I'm glad I did it when I did. Those were fantastic times. I am not a natural rock climbing and I was scared out of my mind most of the time. I did love the big mountain glacier climbs though. I climbed Mt. Rainier twice and all the other major peaks in this area at least once. I saw the top of Mt Baker 4 times. We have traveled to Europe and Greece and the British Isles a few times and around the country. We both downhill ski and Don is on the Ski Patrol at a ski area in the Cascades. Don has been an Anesthesiologist at Group Health Hospital for 28 years. We had a daughter in 1986 and a son in 1988. Mary is planning to start college this fall at Whitman. This is a small college in Eastern Washington. Tom will be a junior in HS. Only in the last few years have I been able to acknowledge that I a semiretired nurse. I really have not worked seriously for several years. I love that professional and I am really grateful I found my way there back when I was only 17 years old. I have been involved in a variety of volunteer positions connected to kids and families for the past 35 years. That includes Girl Scout leader, Cub Scout den mother and Pack Sec., Youth and Family Services, Chidlhaven, my kids schools and the community I have lived in for 28 years. Both my parents are now gone. All my siblings still live in the Twin Cities. My parents property has been sold and their house is gone. I am on several private nonprofit boards out here. One is in midst of major Expansion Project and I am chair of the Capital Campaign. Way out of my league, but there you go. This place is the Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center. It is the only public facility of this type in the country that serves youth and families with water activities that includes rowing sailing, kayaking and sail boarding. I have been rowing there for the past 7 years. It is a great sport with a wonderful group of people. The folks I row with are 30-85 years old. I kid you not. The 85 year is a great rower and good friend. I was able to donate a significant chunk of money to this capital campaign in honor of my Mom. It was money I inherited from the sale of her property out on Otter Lake. A beautiful, expansive terrace is going to be named the ROZ Terrace. Her name was Roz. I am very proud of that. For those who would understand I have been a Friend of Bill W. for 23 years this month. That mostly explains why my recap is so positive and seems like such a good life. There were some very dreadful moments in my 20s. My kids are wonderful and my husband is the best. I am a very lucky woman. I came from good stock and a great high school and town. I look forward to seeing some good, old friends at the end of July. Jean (Woehrle) Zatochill |
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| Curtis | Wollan | See attached | http://wbl69.homestead.com/files/Curt_Wollan.jpg |
